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Dealing With Job Loss

Losing a job is one of the most stressful things a person can face. It can happen to anyone, anytime. The good news is that there are resources and tips to help you take care of the basics following a job loss, cope with the loss and successfully make the transition to looking for work.

Six Steps to Take Care of the Basics

Here are some things you need to take care of following your job loss, usually within 1 to 4 weeks.

Negotiate your severance and settlements. Don’t feel pressured to accept a severance or settlement package immediately. Take some time to think about the offer and don’t be afraid to negotiate. Need legal advice? Use the Law Society of Alberta’s free lawyer referral service to find a lawyer who specializes in labour legislation and layoffs.

Learn more

Employment Standards – offers links to resources on rights and responsibilities for wages, overtime, leaves and other employment issues.

Request a Record of Employment (ROE). You need an ROE to collect Employment Insurance. Contact your nearest Service Canada Centre if you haven’t received your ROE within 14 days of your last pay from your employer.

Apply for Income Support – If you don’t have a severance package, aren’t eligible for EI and have no other resources—including family support, investment or savings—you can apply for Income Support assistance through Alberta Human Services.

Cope With Your Loss

Job loss can leave you feeling shocked, confused, helpless and angry. It’s natural for you to wonder, “Why me?” or search for things you may have done wrong. Here are some resources and tips to help you deal with your loss and move on.

Explore Your Options

No matter what your situation, you always have choices. Start thinking about how you can transform your job loss into an opportunity.

Do some career planning. You can learn about yourself and the type of work that would be a good fit for you. Career Planning includes self-assessment tools, resources, career services and career events.

Look at your work options. Many people who have been laid off discover work options they hadn’t considered before. Working Options is your guide to finding opportunities for self-employment, apprenticeship and more.

Get more education or training. Now might be the perfect time to return to school to upgrade your skills or retrain for different work. Why not Examine the Options and find out.

Work Search Help briefly explains how some of Alberta’s major work search resources can help you in your job search.

Rural Routes: Work Search in Rural Alberta deals with work search tools and techniques for job seekers in rural Alberta, including building relationships, understanding the local market and taking advantage of your local Alberta Works Centre.